Consider you are in a hotel room spending your holidays and having a good time, talking to your family over the phone. You have spoken about some confidential information such as your bank account details; what if someone is listening to your conversation. You are being trapped, and your conversation can be used against you in any way.
Leave aside the hotel room; no one likes to be watched over or if someone hears you in secret at any time. Though the police use such listening devices to listen to the conversation of suspected persons, there are some bad guys who implant such devices for personal gains and objectives. Be it your home, office, or any other place, a listening device can be set up anywhere without you knowing about it.
If this happens to you, you can become a victim of leaking out private information to your competitors or as well as the blackmailers. Before you talk about something important or personal, and if you are going to a new place, it is crucial for you to scan the area for listening devices so that you do not fall into the trap.
If you are unsure how to scan for listening devices, worry no more as you have arrived at the right place. Go through this article, and you will know the process to do the job in a perfect manner, leaving no bugging device to hear your voice again and to protect your privacy.
Let’s now explore the ways to scan for listening devices below.
Carry out a manual physical inspection
Most of the time, it happens that your gut feeling tells you there is something unusual around you, and sometimes it proves to be right. Be it your home or office, physical inspection of a place can tell you a lot, and if you think there is something different, you need to thoroughly inspect the area for bug devices.
Especially watch out for the spots that are common to hide spy devices such as near the bed, working space, meeting rooms, shelves, inside lamps, décor items, etc. Listening devices are small in size, and therefore they can be anywhere.
See if there is anything new and check it out, and also see if there is anything misplaced or out of order. Similarly, look for small holes in ceilings or furniture; there is a possibility a device is bugged in such places. Don’t skip the minor details and sweep thoroughly.
Don’t forget to inspect wires, USB cables, and extensions because a listening device will require a power supply, and its batteries do not last long. There is a high chance that you will find the listening device connected in some way or another.
Find a listening device with a phone
Your smartphone can also be used to scan for a listening device. All you need to do is make a call and let the receiver know why the call is made so that the other person does not drop the call in between.
If there will be a bugging device, it will interfere with the signal, and you will hear a distortion while you are on the phone. Roam around the place while you are on a call and notice if there comes a distortion.
If you hear interference, stop at that place and carefully scan through space, and you will find the bugging device eventually.
Another way to scan for listening devices using your smartphone is by using third-party apps that you can download from the play store. Explore it and see which one works the best.
Remember that your cell phone can also be tapped with a listening device. If you notice glitches while using the phone or if the battery is draining more quickly, get your phone checked as there might be a bug installed in your phone.
Check your Wi-Fi network
You may be wondering how checking your Wi-Fi network can help you scan for listening devices. Well, it serves more than that, there are bug devices that need internet connectivity, and they can steal confidential information from internet traffic in addition to hearing your conversation.
Open your router’s network and see if there is any unrecognized device connected to it, remove it as soon as possible and also change the password and set the stronger one.
Use device detector
Besides following the above techniques, using a listening device detector is another good idea to scan and find bugs implanted in your space.
A radiofrequency detector is the most common you will find. Before you use that, make sure that you have turned off all wireless devices, including your smartphones. Then, sweep around the place, and the detector will sound a beep if it finds any listening device near it.
However, there are bugs that can easily bypass the radiofrequency detectors. For better results, it is preferred that you use multiple types of detectors to scan for listening devices. After all, it’s about your privacy, and spending a few bucks on it is not a bad idea.
Conclusion
Listening devices are usually installed at places where you talk about the most important matters, be it related to work or personal life. It does not mean that you regularly sweep the area for bugs; rather, you should be doing it occasionally or when you are discussing a highly confidential piece of information.
Whatever the reason it is, eavesdropping devices can be used inappropriately as much as for blackmailing. Therefore, it is crucial for you to know how to scan for listening devices.
Reading this article will provide you all the information you need in this regard, and you should not keep it with yourself; share it with your loved ones so that they are also protected from this.